Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-10-28
ROGER LAROQUE.
Gs5apted and Translated from tho French
Of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.

tcopyrishted by the American Press A5socaHon.1
-Ses; 1 slept well ali night"
x Thought | heard you up very early"
y have for u long time wanted to put my
'ra1her7s papers in order; you know how they
5rpre thrown into the closet and your desk
That reminds me- l found photograph
among those papers with three dates written
pccoss thc back, by you if | am not mis-
snkeg-"
And he handed her Roger Laroque's photo
graph. The effect was stunning Pale as
iisa1h itself Julia had hardly time to reach Il
chair before she sank down without strength
N move At the first glance she had known
Rcger face and the card fell unheeded to
tbe iloor, and she looked at Raymond more
Ike n hunted animal than a human being.
In vain she tried to regain her GOODNESS and
s1rZno1nt the horror which this sudden re-
Urn of a ghost Of the awful past rose up be
lore Der. Her horror, her fear and the ner-
vy,sS shock were too much and she abandoned
1grsaf completely to her emotion.
''Mctberl motherl" cried Raymond, not
.esS oEitntel than she. His terrible suspicious
lt1-5r75ed more pressieg, more convincing. 1t
sFfs.re,1 10 him as if the heavens were crum-
hlng about Linn and there was no solid foun-
.laljon 20 the earth. There was but a bound
Eairs eDgulfod all his beliefs, his hopes and
ais rll1ns. And his mother said no word. He
tsNl reached q stage where he would have
sven welcomed transparent lie, so much he
vsnred to be treasured. At last she under
ssnc3 what was passing in her best loved
3olis soul, and she tried to smile.
This heat has overcome me-"
lis went and opened the windows, letting
IN :ile cool breath of morning, which seemed
50 rahsye her a little.
"Nhat were You saying just now about a
photographic
Tla picked it up and save it to her. This
5i,.lt She looked at it and said:
cob, yes. low could It's have got lost
51aceg Il is that of an Old friend of our
family who married a cousin OF NINE Those
a.2tts, Yes, they were lis marriage, the ac-
liaental death of lis bride i'll two days and of
his having become insane about two weeks
satoc. de died soon after, too, l believe"
Raymond breathed again. This seemed
reasonable story, onl il it were true one
AL His suspicious fell 80 the ground. He tool,
5ao photograph from her hand, which still
.rn'uhled, and placed it in an album. As he
lid So he remarked:
1t IS curious that the picture seems to be
fier>d by knife there by the side of the
hea11 Do you notice it,"
at Las likely been pushed against II nail in
movja3,n said she.
ban Raymond had gone, Julia sat for
1ours with her eyes fixed upon tho album.
fhs portrait seemed to draw her invincibly,
MN at last she rose and, apparently thinking
Wis: its destruction si.e could chase away the
.,ECGcy thoughts that crowded in her mind,
rs6s removed it and burned it to cinders, which
s,hs catered to the four winds
Fifteen days later Raymond returned to
1eriion, and almost his first movement was
ho i'ok in the album. The photograph was
gcnap
why" said he, surprised, 'it is not there.
"iFhat my SOM"
'EAe photograph"
~Ab, yes 1t awoke sad remembrances,
10 urned it."
6aymond felt his doubts and fears return.